Liam Ross stared in shock at the enormous boulder floating high above the sky.
It was massive large enough to blot out the sun casting a dark shadow that swallowed the entire harbor. The thing was easily bigger than the warship beneath his feet.
If that fell, not only would his own ship be obliterated, but the two battleships docked beside it would be reduced to splinters as well.
And if that boulder hit Marineford itself...
The image flashed through Liam's mind, and he winced. The destruction would be catastrophic.
Then, a figure appeared atop the hovering mass of stone.
A wooden ship's rudder was lodged into the back of his head like some twisted ornament. His long, golden mane billowed like a lion's under the sea breeze. He wore a bright orange-and-yellow kimono, and two katana were tied below his knees, used as makeshift legs.
It was none other than the world-renowned pirate captain the man who once shook the seas.
The Golden Lion, Shiki.
Captain of the Flying Pirates, and the wielder of the Float-Float Fruit.
Standing atop his floating fortress, Shiki's eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. A cigar smoldered between his lips as his eerie laughter echoed across the harbor.
"Jieh... hahahahaha! Sengoku, Garp... your old friend's here! Let's see how much you enjoy the little gift I brought to repay two years in your damn prison!"
As his mocking words faded, Shiki stomped one of the swords tied to his leg into the stone beneath him.
In an instant, the boulder lost its power of flight.
It plummeted from the sky like a meteor, the air screaming around it. The friction ignited flames across its surface until it burned like a falling sun.
"BOOOOOM!"
The air trembled with the roar. The giant mass turned into a blazing inferno hurtling toward Marineford.
"WEEEOOO! WEEEOOO!"
The alarm blared across the base.
"Enemy attack!"
"Everyone to battle stations!"
"What the hell what's that falling from the sky?!"
Marines looked up and froze in horror. The flaming boulder filled their entire vision, descending fast enough to make the sea itself ripple.
On the deck, Liam's mind was already racing.
A floating rock that massive... there was only one man in the world capable of that.
The Golden Lion.
He cursed under his breath. "You've got to be kidding me... I didn't even do anything to you, you flying maniac."
No time to think. In the blink of an eye, Liam vanished from the warship using Soru, his figure blurring into a streak of motion. He reappeared dozens of meters away, safely on the dock, pretending to be a bystander.
He folded his arms, watching as chaos unfolded.
"I'm just a lowly petty officer," he muttered. "Let the heroes handle this one."
After all, this was Marineford the stronghold of the strongest. Even if Shiki had the audacity to strike here, there were countless monsters ready to stop him.
"Whoosh!"
A blur of motion split the air.
A figure launched skyward, his fist drawn back, wreathed in steel-like muscles and iron will.
"BOOM!"
The punch collided with the falling boulder.
The impact froze the world for a second. Then, cracks spread across the flaming mass like spiderwebs, and the entire stone shattered into countless fragments, scattering like a meteor shower across the sea.
"General Garp!"
Marines roared in awe as their hero landed heavily on the docks, his white coat of justice billowing behind him.
"Vice Admiral Garp took it out with one punch!"
"Unbelievable... the crisis is over!"
"One day, I'll be strong like him!"
"Ha! Keep dreaming, rookie!"
Excitement rippled through the ranks. The scene was nothing short of legendary.
Garp straightened, his expression firm as he glared up at the floating pirate in the sky.
"Shiki," he barked, "you planning to get yourself thrown back into Impel Down?"
The Golden Lion only laughed, a wild, unhinged sound that carried through the clouds.
"Jieh... hahahahaha! Garp, you old fool. You really think you can stop me? Two years ago, I was caught off guard by Sengoku's tricks. But this time, it's different!"
His laughter turned sharp, mad, and triumphant.
"The Pirate King is dead. I'll build the largest fleet this world has ever seen. And then I'll claim his title. I'll become the new Pirate King!"
"Still chasing that delusion, huh?" Garp growled. His jaw tightened. He'd fought countless pirates, but few were as obsessed or as dangerous as Shiki.
Then, a deep, commanding voice thundered from within Marineford.
"Shiki, the Navy Headquarters is not your playground. For scum like you, Impel Down will be your final resting place!"
Golden light blazed across the plaza.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku appeared, his body transforming into his Golden Buddha form. Radiant light enveloped the sky as he raised his massive palm and slammed it downward.
Shiki's grin widened.
"Lion's Song: Thousand Slice Valley!"
Sword energy burst from his legs like blades of wind, shredding Sengoku's shockwave apart. The clash split the clouds, shaking the heavens.
Then Garp moved again.
"Galaxy Impact!"
A black cannonball roared toward the sky, faster than lightning.
Shiki turned, his right arm coated in hardened Haki.
"Boom!"
The explosion lit the horizon. Smoke billowed, but when it cleared, the Golden Lion was still there hovering above, grinning through the haze.
"Jieh... hahahaha! Another time, old friends. When I'm King of the Seas, I'll return with a fleet strong enough to erase your Navy from the world!"
"Shiki! You're not leaving!" Sengoku thundered, unleashing another golden shockwave.
But Shiki sensed it before it came his Observation Haki flaring. With a mocking salute, he sidestepped the attack and shot into the distance, his floating power carrying him beyond reach.
The sky grew quiet again, the echo of his laughter fading into the wind.
Down below, Liam narrowed his eyes, watching that retreating speck of gold.
"Running already, huh?" he murmured.
Without a word, he slipped away from the gathering marines, moving toward the shadowed cliffs behind Marineford.
There, he retrieved a higher-ranked uniform and a voice mask from his system inventory.
Activating his invisibility skill, Liam took a deep breath.
"Let's see what you're really planning, Golden Lion."
And with that, he vanished into the sky quietly pursuing Shiki through the clouds.
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